Thousands of blocks of flats still unsafe, Labour peer tells Lords

Far too many high and medium-rise buildings remain unsafe in the wake of the Grenfell disaster, with dangerous cladding on at least 2,400 blocks, a housing minister has warned.

- Rowena Mason

Wajid Khan, a Labour peer and minister, said yesterday that remediation work has not started at about 50% of properties being monitored for their unsafe cladding.

The peer told the House of Lords there is a need to "go further, faster" on 2,415 residential buildings over 11 metres in height in England.

Figures show that of 4,834 buildings on the building safety register, about 30%, or 1,436, have completed remediation. A further 983 have started remediation, leaving a total of 3,398 where work is not done.

Khan made the remarks in a debate about the Grenfell Tower inquiry report, which he said focused on fire safety but also "exposed wider failures in practice and culture".